


skinny love.

by insaneli



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 2tae if you squint, Fluff, JaeDo, M/M, Minor Angst, Mutual Pining, cute shit, dojae, dojae are idiots, idk how to write kissing, jeno is always doyoung's bby, kissing!!, lapslock, markhyuck, they're idols, v self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 18:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15646122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insaneli/pseuds/insaneli
Summary: no, doyoung and jaehyun aren't dating. they just like to cuddle.





	skinny love.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a VERY self indulgent fic and it's poorly written so eh

_no, we’re not dating_

that’s what doyoung says when the other members spot them cuddling during dance practice breaks. both of them are sitting on the floor, one in front of the other. jaehyun has his arms wrapped around doyoung, toying with the latter’s bracelet while smiling when looking at his own. doyoung, has his eyes on his phone, but his eyes sneakily flit up to stare at jaehyun every now and then. 

“we’re not stupid, okay, doie,” johnny sniggers while taking a swig of water from his bottle. 

“yea, just tell us whether you two are dating,” taeyong speaks up from where he is, babying mark as the latter tries to speak to donghyuck. 

“we’re not together, okay? we’re just friends,” jaehyun huffs, seemingly frustrated. 

“yea sure, ‘cus bros definitely buy each other matching bracelets and shoes,” johnny rolls his eyes. 

“taeyong has the bracelet too!” 

“but you two wear it all the time!” 

“um, because we’re friends?”

“look, you two better get your sh-” 

“alright, people! back to practicing!” taeyong cuts johnny off with a clap, glaring at him for almost swearing in front of the unit’s maknae.

but as the “na na na” part of touch plays through the speakers, taeyong catches jaehyun giving doyoung a soft smile as the latter almost trips when getting into position. taeyong sighs. 

_oh boy_

* * *

touch era is almost over, and all nine of the boys are exhausted from endless promotions and performances. all they want to do is relax in the dorms and forget about their schedules. alas, the idol life never leaves them and they’re swept in a flurry of cameras and studios to continue promoting the group. 

“johnny, can you call jaehyun? we have to leave for the radio schedule soon,” the chubby manager pleads the american. 

johnny nods, already knowing where jaehyun is. he rarely spends his time in his own room anymore, leaving donghyuck complaining all the time about loneliness (only to shut up when mark comes in). it’s a no-brainer where he is instead. he hasn’t exactly been subtle with it either, often seen wearing a certain someone’s hoodies recently. 

johnny soon reaches doyoung’s room, smiling when he sees the cute decorations on the door. he knocks rapidly, saying, “yah, doyoung! we need jae for the radio now!”

shuffling of footsteps and hurried steps greet johnny’s ears as he waits for jaehyun. in no time, jaehyun’s standing in front of him, wearing a lavender shirt paired with skinny jeans. his hair is as fluffy as usual, sparse of styling of any kind. nothing’s out of the usual, except for- 

“wait, you’re wearing dangly earrings now?” johnny gestures at the long earring extended from jaehyun earlobe. it’s shining brightly, catching the light of the brightly lit hallway and glistening in his eyes. 

“i told him he would look good in them,” doyoung smirks from behind jaehyun, arms crossed and leaning on the doorframe. he’s clad in only an oversized t-shirt and pyjamas pants, as he doesn’t have schedules for the day anymore. his black hair is ruffled, slightly messy at the ends. 

johnny nods in approval before leading jaehyun away from the bunny lookalike boy, the younger whining and waving to doyoung cutely. he shouts a “sleep well tonight!”, only for doyoung to burst in laughter when donghyuck’s voice shouts out “i will, thanks for accompanying me!” his eyes go wide, momentarily frozen in his spot before smiling widely and skipping away with johnny to join their managers. 

“so what were you doing in doyoung’s room?” johnny asks as they get into the black car. he smirks, knowing that whatever that’s going on between them, is going to blossom into something new and freak the fuck out of them. 

“nothing, y’know. i was just helping him with his ost. he gave me pointers for our kcon stage, i guess,” jaehyun says while shrugging his shoulders, but the drumming of his fingers on his own thigh gives him away. 

“just tell me if you and him are together, oh my god. jae, you know i’ll be happy for you.” 

jaehyun sighs, turning to the american and saying, 

_we’re just friends, okay?_

later, the makeup noona tells jaehyun his lips are more swollen than usual and johnny laughs so hard he falls off his chair.

* * *

“doyoung hyungggg,” jeno whines as the elder hugs him for the tenth time in an hour. they’re at the backstage of show champion, watching a girl group duo perform. jeno, dressed in blue and white, was just waiting for his cue along with yeeun and yongguk, when a familiar boy crashed through the doors and dashed towards him. of course, it was doyoung. everyone knew he was whipped for jeno (or the dreamies in general). 

doyoung said nothing, only holding him tighter as jeno squirms even more. yongguk, who’s also waiting with a fan in hand, chuckles cutely at the sight. beside him is yeeun, her short black hair giving everyone a strict impression but when she sees the duo, her eyes crinkle into a smile. 

jeno smiles into the camera doyoung is holding, waving adorably. he flashes his eye smile, knowing how much fans love it. doyoung eventually lets go of jeno and pats jeno on the head with a “good luck!” when the staff asks the mc trio to get ready. jeno smiles his signature eye smile and waves to the camera while collecting his flashcards.

few performances later, jeno’s finally done with his job and quickly heads out with his manager to the entrance. he spots doyoung holding a gopro, this time with a plastic bag hanging from the crook of his arm. he’s texting someone, and judging from the crinkles at the edge of his eyes and that familiar fondness, he already knows it’s a certain hyung with fluffy hair and pretty dimples. jeno smiles slightly, happy seeing doyoung hyung so cheerful, so alive. it’s been around two years since they’ve debuted, and tension was already high between the two sub unit members pre-debut and seeing them starting to act on their feelings is a big fat relief to the rest of the group.

“doyoung hyung!” jeno calls out to him. 

startled, doyoung glances up and grins when he sees his favourite dongsaeng coming. he quickly walks towards jeno, holding out the gopro to him to help the latter poke the straw through his drink. jeno takes over the gopro, panning to doyoung whose eyebrows are furrowed as he works around the straw and the drink. 

when they’re done vlogging, both of them decide to take the same car back to the dorms. doyoung rubs his eyes and takes out his phone to text a certain someone, eyes crinkling every now and then, even letting out a giggle. he’s never seen doyoung so _whipped_ before, smiling like no tomorrow and endlessly giggling. feeling cheeky, jeno asks out of the blue, “is jaehyun hyung your boyfriend, hyung?” 

hearing this, doyoung’s smile immediately drops from his face and he exhales loudly. he locks his phone and entwines his hands together, looking nervous (and a little bit annoyed?). opening his mouth he says, 

_jaehyun and i. are. just. good. friends. nothing more nothing less._

and jeno never pops the question again.

* * *

“guys, c’mon now. the movie’s about to start!” taeyong hollers, gathering the attention of the other seventeen members. 

upon hearing taeyong’s reminder, all of them rush to the big living room and settle themselves in front of the huge ass flat screen. they’re scattered all around the area, some on the sofa, on the armrest, on the floor. most of the dreamies are splayed on the floor, while the older members are either on the sofa or the multiple chairs. the managers are all sitting at the corner, also joining the members in the movie session. it’s a little unspoken ritual the group has, having a movie session when the rarity in which everyone’s schedules are free at the same time happens. moments like this are what makes them so close to each other, contented with where they are now, together. 

yes, the managers already know they’re dating among each other. yes, they’re fine with it, as long as they’re not overly touchy with each other in public. the public isn’t ready for any dating news, especially a same gender one. it’s infuriating, to say at least. however, the boys do need a solid fan base, and because of that, sacrifices have to be made. 

yuta and winwin are snuggled together on the couch, arms wrapped around each other with the taller’s head on the other’s. johnny is sitting on the floor, fingees playing with ten’s hair, who’s sitting between the older’s legs. the rest of the couples are also nestled against each other, eyes soft with adoration. 

however, there is one duo that is cuddling, but _no, they’re not dating_

doyoung and jaehyun are the closest to the television, the older sitting in front of jaehyun and resting his head on the latter’s chest. doyoung’s been extremely tired lately, with non stop filming and schedules, but he’s never one to miss movie night, even if it means falling asleep in the middle of the last _harry potter_ movie. 

the movie soon starts and taeyong hushes everyone. the tell tale opening song plays and everyone falls silent. everyone is entranced by the cinematography, the acting, the plot, the magic of it all. as harry and ginny kiss, a simultaneous gasp resounds through the room with excited squeals but soon dies down with a “god dammit!” when ron barges into the room. moving on, the members stare at the television screen, eyes taking in every single detail of the movie. they gasp when harry dies, shudder when voldemort’s face appears, and most importantly, they rejoice when the dark lord falls. they don’t budge, at least until a manager stands up and switches on the light, making everyone groan due to the unaccustomed light.

“hyung, hyung,” jaehyun gently shakes doyoung, who actually fell asleep somewhere along the movie.

“hmm?” doyoung jostles, whining soundlessly as he struggles to open his eyes, instead opting to turn around and hug jaehyun sideways. 

jaehyun gasps and blushes, shocked with doyoung’s sleepy impulsive movements. this is the first time doyoung has ever initiated skinship with him, most of it being jaehyun snuggling him. he looks utterly adorable right now, nose scrunched up and eyebrows furrowed. his hair is slightly tousled, strands all over the place. doyoung looks so vulnerable and soft, an image that jaehyun rarely sees on the older boy. 

“j-jae?” doyoung suddenly asks with a small voice, “what are we?” 

jaehyun blinks once. and blinks once again. he’s taken aback, and afraid. afraid that he can’t reply doyoung’s question correctly, afraid that he’s going to fuck this up, afraid that he’s going to make doyoung, afraid that _he’s not good enough for doyoung_. he’s undoubtedly in love with him, but his heart has been broken multiple times carelessly, and he has broken several in turn. he knows doyoung is different, different from his past flings. doyoung’s like a spark in his world that is a dull sky, a rainbow after the rain, his solace in the midst of the chaos. doyoung is his home away from home, his comfort zone. 

“we can be anything you want us to be,” jaehyun manages to choke out. doyoung falls silent, and his expression turns stony.

“why? why do you always say this? anything? can’t you see, jung jaehyun, that i’m fucking in love with you? there’s never a moment that i never think of you, you’re always on my mind. jung jaehyun, you idiot. can’t you see that i want so much more than this?” doyoung snaps, while untangling himself from jaehyun. 

“d-doyoung,” jaehyun tries to call out, but it’s too late. doyoung stomps to his dorm room, eyes brimming with tears when his eyes land on jaehyun’s hoodie that’s sitting on his chair. 

_i wish we were dating_

* * *

_this feels weird._

that's what lucas says one day when they’re at the breakfast table. the other members nod, agreeing. something’s been off since last night. they’re not quite sure what, but it’s been weirdly quiet, like the calm before a storm. they’re waiting for the storm to start brewing, and soon enough jaehyun walks through the doors and plunks himself down on a random seat. his eyes are bloodshot, stained red, undoubtedly from crying. 

the members are surprised. jaehyun is rarely in this state, him being the happy-go-lucky member, always smiling at every little thing and joking around. seeing him like this scares them, and they know whatever’s happening, is a big fat deal. 

“jaehyun hyung? what’s wrong?” chenle asks. 

suddenly, jaehyun is a pool of tears in front of his breakfast and everyone stops eating. he’s sobbing uncontrollably, body shaking furiously. his hands are clenched into fists, veins popping out of his arm. tears rolls down his cheeks, like waterfalls and he doesn’t even try to wipe them away, instead letting them roll off his face and onto his jeans. 

as if on cue, the dining room door opens and everyone swivels their heads to look at the new person, including jaehyun. it’s doyoung, also looking like total shit. his eyes too, are bloodshot and red, sore from rubbing them constantly and crying. there are bags under his eyes, which he didn’t even bother to cover up with concealer. he’s wearing a familiar hoodie, sleeves exceeding his hands and making him look vulnerable. upon seeing this, jaehyun chokes back a sob and goes back to looking down to his lap. 

“okay, you know what? you two are fucking idiots. you two deserve each other, but both of you are idiots! utter idiots!” taeyong stands up from his chair and slaps the table, making everyone jump. 

“you two. get your shit together. NOW,” taeyong waggles a finger at the living room, eyes holding bridled fire. 

no one has ever seen taeyong like this. ever. not even when they lost a member at the airport. not even when they slacked off during practice. not even when someone messed up during rehearsals. taeyong looks genuinely pissed off, and that’s what scares them the most. his big eyes are glaring at the duo, finger still extended towards the door and cocking his eyebrow, as if challenging them to defy him. 

sensing the leader’s rage, doyoung sighs and backs out into the living room, curling up on the sofa. yes, he’s angry at jaehyun, but for the most part, he’s disappointed. he thinks he’s not enough for the dimpled boy, not worthy of his love. jaehyun, to him is everything precious in the world, and nothing can change his mind ever. he’s sure jaehyun hates him now, but he recalls his state in the dining room. back hunched, eyes pink and red nose, just like how doyoung was last night. his heart surges with hope. 

however, jaehyun appears in front of him and doyoung can physically feel his heart clench and pound rapidly against his ribs. they both are an absolute mess, both mentally and physically. both of them have their head ducked, afraid to make eye contact, for they know they’ll burst into a new cycle of tears again. absently, jaehyun toys with doyoung’s fingers, rubbing his thumb against them and intertwining them with his own. they fit perfectly in the slots of jaehyun’s fingers, like they were meant to be there. 

doyoung shudders and gently pulls his hand away, making jaehyun falter. “stop, stop. jaehyun, please. let’s talk it out first,” he pleads. 

nodding, jaehyun straightens his back and leans forward towards doyoung. “look, hyung. i like you. a lot. more than i can even fathom. i’m pretty sure i’m in love with you, but the thought scares me shitless. you take up most of my mind, even when i’m recording, performing, you are the sole thought in my head. i don’t know whether you feel the same, but i really want to date you,” jaehyun blubbers out, seemingly not giving a care, but his shaking hands are a dead giveaway. 

doyoung inhales sharply, surprised by jaehyun’s abrupt confession, but he’s also really, fucking happy. 

unable to control himself, he leans forward towards the dimpled boy too. their faces are a milimetre apart from each other (doyoung stares at his eyelashes) and jaehyun hesitantly puts his lips on doyoung’s, slowly. 

sensing no response, he pulls away slightly, but doyoung comes to his senses, and kisses him back. they’re both hesitant, not sure what to do. but they slowly work around it, shifting their lips every now and then. their lips melt against each other’s and it’s a blissful moment. as jaehyun nibbles on doyoung’s lips, the latter gasps softly but gives in anyway. doyoung takes jaehyun by the neck and pulls him closer, wanting to enjoy the kiss more.

“OH MY GOD, FUCK” 

ten’s voice resonates throughout the whole room, startling the liplocked duo and they spring apart. 

“you nasties, you two went from whining and crying to crying even more, and now you’re kissing?! on the bloody couch? kids are wild nowadays,” ten shakes his head.

(as if the other members don’t hear suspicious sounds from johnny’s dorm last night)

doyoung rolls his eyes and flips his middle finger at ten, who shoots him a bright smile and skips off with a wink. jaehyun grins, lips swollen and eyes glistening with pure happiness. he scoots over to doyoung and wraps his arms around him, kissing the top of his black hair. doyoung blushes, and playfully swats him on his arm. he leans back into jaehyun’s embrace, sighing softly and a smile makes its way to his mouth, staying there. 

“so, i’m guessing by that little incident, you like me too?” jaehyun asks cutely, cocking his head to the side. 

doyoung rolls his eyes, “nah, you’re just fuck buddy material. good kiss though.”

jaehyun pouts, and his expression turns sulky. doyoung grins, and shifts his body so he’s facing jaehyun’s face again. 

“i. like. you. a. lot,” each word is punctuated with a peck on jaehyun’s lips, making the latter turn crimson red and his dimples appear full-blown. 

doyoung sits back down, sighing contentedly as he sinks back into jaehyun’s arms. he opens his mouth and asks,

_so, we’re dating right?_

and he’s met with jaehyun’s lips on his all over again.

* * *

the nct 127 members are gathered at the studio, each holding identical pieces of paper. it’s their first recording session for their new album, marking the start of another era. that, and many other schedules. 

doyoung eyes rake over the paper, stopping when his name appears next to the lyrics and he recites them softly under his breath for fluency. suddenly, while he’s pronouncing the transition of the words slowly, a pair of strong arms encircle his waist and a thin scent of cologne wafts into his nose. jaehyun rests his head on doyoung shoulder, pouting cutely as he reads the paper too. as main vocals, they’re once again in charge of most of the vocals and notes, and the high notes go to taeil, who’s seated on the chairs with taeyong beside him. 

they listen to the demo countless times to catch the beats and rhythm, slowly learning their lines. once they think they’re ready, the producers beckon them one by one into the recording box and the grind starts. taeyong and mark are always behind the producers, occasionally suggesting a few changes to the lines and ad libs. the rest fall behind against the wall, practicing their lines softly and taking sips of water every now and then. 

doyoung and jaehyun practise together outside in the waiting room, where they continuously play the demo on their phones. doyoung furrows his eyebrows when he gets to a tricky part with more syllables, faltering slightly. he sighs and covers his face with his hands, already stressed with the producing. they haven’t even touched on the choreography, which he’s sure is tough and gruelling. 

jaehyun, sensing doyoung’s distress, puts down his lyric sheets and hugs his boyfriend. he plants a kiss at the corner of his mouth, and massages his neck slowly. doyoung sighs and feels the tension lessen from his neck gradually. 

“hey, it’s gonna be alright okay?” jaehyun whispers softly to him. 

doyoung can only nod, eyes fluttering shut as he pecks jaehyun on the mouth and forehead. they stay in each other’s arms, in each other’s love. both of them are sickeningly in love with each other, and are undeniably happy. there’s never a day one of them aren’t soft for the other and there’s also never a day both of them aren’t making out on the living room couch, scarring the other members (only to jump apart when one of the dream members appear). 

“doyoung? it’s your turn n-” taeyong appears at the door. “oh, cute hehe. c’mon jaehyun, you can come too.” 

doyoung and jaehyun stand up and get their lyric sheets. they interlock their fingers together, walking down the hallway to the recording studio. 

taeyong turns towards them and asks, “you two are dating?” 

_yes, we’re dating_

and jaehyun smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me @yukhords on twitter hehe 
> 
> leave a comment! that would be nice


End file.
